​“And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart” (2 Chronicles 25:2). This verse is perhaps one of the best descriptors of the condition of so many of our lives. In this verse we see the conflict that exists in our hearts between the Spirit and the flesh. When you look at the life of King Amaziah, you see a man who lived according to the Law of God. You see a man who did right by people, even those who reminded him of the men who killed his father (2 Chronciles 25:3-4). You see a man who led the people of God to great military victories. You see a man who listened to the prophet of God, although it cost him some money (5-10). He did right in the sight of the Lord.

Yet you see a man whose heart wasn’t in it. The same verse that tells us that he did right in the sight of the Lord also tells us that he didn’t do it with his whole heart. The same man who listened to the prophet of God on one occasion, told the prophet on a different occasion that he didn’t hire the prophet to advise him and that if he didn’t be quiet and leave, he would die. The same king who defeated the Edomites with the help of God, brought the gods of Edom into Judah and worshiped them.

Like King Amaziah, too many of us do right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole, committed heart. We do what is right in many areas of our lives, but there are some areas where our heart isn’t in it. Like the rich man in Matthew 19:16-22, there are just some things we are not willing to give up. The mindset of, “I love you Lord, but I love my sin too” leads to spiritual compromise and stifles our spiritual growth. God wants us to give Him our whole heart. God does not want our perfunctory service. He does not want us to give Him high praise on Sunday and then push Him aside until the next Sunday. He doesn’t want us to be like the person in your family who only calls or comes around when they need something.

​God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to die so that we could live. Christ gave up His life so that we could have life. And because God has been so good we ought to be fully committed. If we are going to be fully committed to God, we must seek God through His Word (Psalm 119:9-12). We should listen to the counsel of the godly. We must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. God wants our heart to be His.